“I think the markets still pretty good down here,” says Jordan Uraba, a UH engineering major.

The unemployment rate has dropped here in Hawaii to 5.1% showing improvement compared to the 7.1% unemployment rate we saw in 2009 at the peak of the recession.

But some college graduates say they are still having a difficult time getting hired.

“I’ve been applying for jobs every single day, 20 a day, it’s not been easy. I’ve applied here, all over the mainland, I’ve even applied internationally. It’s just really hard for entry level jobs right now,” says Davis.

She’s a communication major.

Other students in the education or engineering fields, say the job hunt process has been a little smoother.

“I just got hired last week to be a PE teacher at Waimalu Elementary so I’m really excited about that,” says Matthew Cheape, a kinesiology major.

“It looks pretty good for us, for civils at least. Already I have a job in construction,” says Uraba.

Data shows that the recession has taken a toll on all industries in Hawaii except the health care and education-related fields.

The construction field is showing signs of a modest recovery.

And the hospitality and professional and business services industry are making significant rebounds.

“The other one technology at the forefront, green jobs, sustainability and engineering is a big one,” says Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., who was watching his daughter graduate today.